Neighbourhoods: Caring For Our Environments & Estates

Where we live, our homes, our street and our local communities are so important to the wellbeing of local people. The Labour Party in Hartlepool recognises that for too many residents in our town issues such as litter, dog fouling, potholes and a lack of community facilities are a constant source of frustration. It is the duty of our council and councillors to tackle these problems head-on.

Improving our roads

We want more investment into resurfacing and less reliance on the piecemeal patching of potholes, which is at best a temporary measure. But improving our roads is more than just resurfacing; we need to make them safer, especially for our young and elderly and that means enforcing speed limits, having sensible solutions to parking problems and ending the scourge of red-light jumpers in our town centre. We want a town-wide approach to all these issues that is consistent and that reflects the needs and wishes of local residents.

Tackling litter and fly tipping

More enforcement for those that litter and more bins to ensure there can be no excuse for it are top priorities in the coming year. Too many bins are left overflowing, especially in our parks and green spaces and the council has a responsibility to ensure there is adequate provision across the town. We will review all council policies to see if there is more that can be done to reduce the significant increase in fly-tipping that blights many communities.

Investing in our communities and Improving our estates

We have lost too many community facilities on which local residents rely, while developers have taken a build now plan later approach to new estates. We need to use the planning powers that are available to the council to ensure that new builds always include community facilities and secure investment for all parts of the town.

Maintaining our parks and greenspaces

Hartlepool is blessed with many green spaces that are the jewels in the crown of our communities, but they must be supported and looked after. We need to ensure that planting, play areas and pathways are kept to a very high standard and that the actions of a thoughtless minority do not spoil these areas for the rest of us.

Plastic free Hartlepool

Our responsibility to the environment belongs to all of us and we must each play our part to secure the ecology of our planet for future generations. We are working with local residents, businesses and organisations to rid Hartlepool of all unnecessary plastics and play our part in this important cause. We commit to ensuring Hartlepool Borough Council achieves Plastic Free status.